Proof
by ayjaydee
Summary: Steve, while lost in the Tower, happens upon a private moment for Tony. But it gives him a new perspective on the relationship between a father and his son. Major references to Iron Man and Iron Man 2.


A/N: Because this is from Steve's persepective, it is an Avengers fic. But because the references are from Iron Man 1 & 2, it is also (mostly) an IM fic. Therefore it is a crossover. One could possibly read this without having seen the IM movies, but it's better to have seen them than not.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein, nor have any right to the script from IM2.

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Proof

_Every hallway looks the same_, Steve Rogers thought as he wandered around the newly remodeled Stark Tower, quite lost.

Steve had been invited by Tony to come and stay for a week or two, although the captain was pretty sure it had been at the insistence of Ms. Potts and not an idea that the billionaire came up with by himself. Steve welcomed the chance to see his former teammates (as Bruce was still living with Stark for the time being) and do something other than mope around his apartment while trying to get a better grasp on modern technology. It would help take his mind off of the fact that, for all his progression, he was still an old soul in a completely new world.

However, Steve had forgotten just how impatient and _annoyed_ he got when he was around Tony Stark for any length of time. In fact, for the majority of his stay, the soldier and the scientist had been completely at odds with each other, starting some form of an argument almost every time they were in a room together. Pepper and Bruce made pretty good mediators between them though, so things never really got out of hand. Plus, there was the fact that Tony would've stayed in his lab for the entirety of Steve's visit had Pepper not insisted that he come out for meals and talk to his guest.

Now, however, Steve was alone, without a clue where he was, except for being somewhere on the 90th level. He supposed he could ask JARVIS, but he was still a little wary of the cultured, disembodied voice that seemed to come from everywhere.

Rounding the corner, the super-soldier spotted a familiar landmark: the entertainment center. Pepper and Bruce had been trying to catch him up on the latest in movies and television, so Steve had spent a fair amount of his time in the upcoming room. Relaxing his shoulders, he let out a sigh of relief. He knew where he was now and could easily make it back to his room.

However, a soft blue light, catching and flickering, emanating from the entertainment area caught Steve's attention. Now that he was closer, his enhanced hearing could pick up a voice. A very familiar voice that he hadn't heard in seventy years.

Howard Stark.

Steve reeled back a step in surprise. That wasn't possible, his friend was long gone. But he looked again at the light and noticed the way it stopped and sputtered, not unlike a film reel. _A recording, then, _he surmised, the shock wearing off. On top of Howard's voice, the captain could hear low, murmuring voices. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stepped up to the doorway making sure to keep in the shadows.

Inside the room, a screen had been set up at the front and a projector reel at the back. Tony and Pepper were seated on the large sofa in the middle. Stark was leaning forward, elbows on his knees and fingers steepled under his chin, his eyes focused on the screen. Pepper was leaning back, her hand resting gently on her boyfriend's shoulder.

On the screen was Howard Stark, at least a decade or two older than Steve remembered him, apparently trying and failing to make a proper recording for the introduction of his Expo. Both Tony and Pepper had on different occasions explained what the Expo was and how it worked to Steve, so the soldier had no problems understanding what the recording was for.

After several more mess-ups and random shots of the inventor, the film went dark. A few seconds later it came back on with Howard now looking completely serious as he stared into the camera.

_Tony,_ he intoned, and Steve saw that the billionaire in question now had his face in his hands, his body tense. _You're too young to understand this now, _Howard continued, _so I thought I'd put it on film for you. I built this for you, _he gestured to the table behind him. _And someday you'll realize that it represents a lot more than people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. _There was a pause as two random shots of the Expo flashed across the screen.

As Howard came back on, there was now a mix of determination and pride in his voice. _I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out, and when you do, you will change the world. _Tears now misted the older man's eyes. _What is and always will be my greatest creation, is you._

The film stopped and for a few seconds the room was pitched into darkness. No one moved. The lights came softly back on.

Then, Steve saw Tony's shoulders hitch once. Twice. A small, strangled noise broke the silence. At first the captain didn't understand, but then Pepper's arms encircled Tony, holding him close and that's when it hit him.

Tony Stark was crying.

Steve was stunned. Never had he seen such blatant emotion come from the man before him. In fact, there had been a time when the soldier had questioned if Stark had any real feelings at all. But Tony had shown his true colors as part of the Avengers and Steve had gotten a glimpse of what was behind the playboy persona. Now he was seeing the real Tony Stark.

The weight of the moment finally dawned on him and he knew he shouldn't be here, invading the privacy of such a personal scene, but he couldn't make himself move. Instead he stood frozen, watching as Pepper rocked Tony in her arms, whispering comforting words, calming the man with her presence. Steve couldn't help but think, with some pain, that Peggy would've really liked this woman.

After a few minutes, Tony had stilled and Pepper asked quietly if he was okay. The dark-haired man threw her a small grin. "I am now, Pep, thanks to you," he responded in a quiet voice. Tony got to his feet and started to put the reel and film away.

As he closed the lid on the can of film, Tony paused and turned to face his girlfriend. "You know, Pepper, that was the only time in my entire life that my dad ever said, in so many words, I love you." He turned back and set the can on the table. "Too bad it was twenty years too late."

Pepper stood up and walked over to her boyfriend, threading one arm around his and, using her free hand, turned his face to hers. "At the very least, he said it, Tony. That has to count for something."

Tony sighed and after a few moments he nodded. "Yeah, I guess it does." Then reaching for a marker on the table, he quickly scribbled something across the top of the film canister before showing it to Pepper. The redhead laughed as she read the label and then tugged on the billionaire's arm.

"Come on, Tony. Let's see if we can't wrestle Bruce out of the lab, then we'll get Steve and go out to dinner."

They moved out of the room by way of the far exit and everything was silent once more. Steve stood there for a few more moments, digesting everything he'd heard. So many things were clearer to him now than they were before. Like why Howard Stark had been a taboo subject between him and Tony ever since they'd met. The way Tony reacted to questions about his childhood. Why Tony felt the need to hide behind his outer veneer that the world could only see. It shocked Steve how much he had misjudged the other man.

Moving now, the soldier wandered into the room, heading for the table on which the film canister lay. He was curious to see what Tony had written that made Pepper laugh. There, on the lid, was this inscription:

Proof That Howard Stark Had A Heart

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A/N: I always felt like Howard's message to Tony deserved a little more attention than it recieved, so this was born. Hope you enjoyed!


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